Tale of Two Orphans
by Snowparrot
Summary: When a time traveling accident lands an eleven year old Teddy Lupin (up to no good, of course) at the feet of a newly thirteen year old Harry Potter many things become uncertain ...
1. Chapter 1

It was nearly midnight, and Harry Potter, a thirteen year old wizard, was lying on his front in bed, the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent, a torch in one hand and a large leather-bound book propped up against the pillow. The book was _A History of Magic _by Adalbert Waffling and Harry was secretly doing his homework for Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and wizardry. It was dark outside and nothing moved in the entire house, silence reigned, until … CRASH!

Harry jumped and cursed because he had spilled some ink over his pillow. Where had that noise come from? It had been too close for his taste … Harry stood on his bed and searched the room with his torch.

He didn't have to search for long: In front of him stood a boy. It was rather obvious that it was no average Muggle boy, for on the one hand that strange boy had glowing neon blue hair and on the other hand he was wearing a black cloak, as wizards usually did, and was holding a wand in his raised hand.

"Who are you?", Harry asked puzzled and disconcerted because his own wand was locked away in the cupboard under the stairs.

"Um", said the boy and put a hand in front of his eyes to shield them against the light of the torch.

Sure enough, in that instant the door of Harry's room was thrown open and uncle Vernon appeared in a fury. He stopped for a moment in the doorframe, turned on the light and gaped at the strange boy. The blue haired lad looked just as baffled as uncle Vernon (who was turning redder and redder every minute) and a grin he couldn't fight down stole onto Harry's face. They did look kind of funny, after all.

Then, however, uncle Vernon recovered and started to yell at Harry: "Enough! Enough is enough! Enough of that magic nonsense! You are leaving the house right away, boy! And you are taking this misfit with you!" During the last words he was pointing at the strange boy. In the mean time aunt Petunia appeared in the doorframe. She was about as white as Vernon was red.

Harry lowered the torch. To explain to his uncle that he had no clue where this strange boy had appeared from (who did not only hold a wand in his hands but also an old sock) was pointless. He quickly accepted his fate, took his homework and Hedwig's cage and let his uncle herd Blue and himself down the stairs and outside.

"My things", Harry said coolly to his uncle as they stood in the chilly night air. "If you don't bring them outside, I'll make such a racket that all the neighbours will fall out of their beds."

Vernon grumbled, and a moment later Harry's suitcase came flying out of the open door, which closed behind it with a bang. The other boy was gaping at the closed door. At last he started talking. That was actually the first sign that he had command over the English language: "I'm sorry. The portkey should have brought me to my godfather. I'm not quite sure what happened there. I didn't want you to get into trouble with your dad … is he always that quick to anger?"

"Hm, vou've probably done me a favour", Harry said and shrugged. "That was my uncle and I hate living here. I'm actually quite happy that they've thrown me out."

He bent down, shoved his History of Magic book into the suitcase and took his wand out. Then he started walking down the street with suitcase, cage and strange boy in tow. "Don't you want to take the Knight Bus?", Blue asked.

"The what?"

"You don't know the Knight Bus? Well, no wonder, living with these weird muggles and all … Well, you haven't missed much. Listen, if you don't have any place to stay, you can come with me to my godfather's. He is really chill and won't be bothered if there's one more kid to house and feed", the boy said. "I'm Ted by the way."

"Harry", Harry said and they shook hands while they kept walking. It would be best to get far, far away from the Dursleys as soon as possible. "Where does that bus leave?", Harry asked.

"Stay put for a moment", Ted said and made a sign for him to step off the street. Then he swivelled his wand while making a pompous face. At the same time, Harry gazed down the alleyway behind them with narrowed eyes. He had sensed rather than heard it: someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind them. "Something's back there", Harry whispered. But at the same time doubts began to rise in him. What if Ted, if that was even his name, was not as harmless as he looked and knew exactly which friend of his was waiting back there? What if no Knight Bus was coming?

Then there was a bang and a sudden blinding light and in front of them appeared a unsteady triple-decker, violently purple bus. Surprised, Harry took another step back.

"Hi Eleanor", Ted called happily through the open bus door.

"Who is Eleanor?", the young conductor in a purple uniform asked as he jumped out of the bus.

"Where's Eleanor gone off to?", asked Ted, looking past him. "She's the conductor of the Knight Bus!"

"No, that's me, Stan, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Ted furrowed his brows, shrugged and entered the bus. Stan took Harry's things and asked for their names.

"I'm Ted", the boy said. "Ted Lupin."

"Neville, Neville Longbottom", Harry said as soon as he had entered the bus. Maybe just a little bit too fast. He had decided to stay incognito. Ted looked at him strangely, but did not say anything.

"And where do you want to go off to, Neville and Ted?", Stan asked.

"Edinburgh, Princes Street", Ted said. Stan named the price, upon which Ted widened his eyes. Harry understood and paid for both.

"Okay, back there you will find some free beds. Make yourself at home", Stan said and while they made their way to the back, the bus started. They were catapulted straight onto their beds next to the curtained windows. Wide awake they sat next to each other. "Why did you tell them that your name is Neville Longbottom?", Ted whispered, looking at Harry strangely.

"Um, long story", Harry said. He was in fact rather content that Ted did not seem to have recognised him as the famous boy-who-lived yet.

"Two boys like you should not be travelling alone", a hoarse voice said from in front of them. A man with crazy white hair and a scarred face had woken up. "Why not?", Ted asked with defiance.

"Haven't you heard?", the man asked. "Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban … big follower of You-know-who …" After these words the man turned around and fell back into an uneasy slumber, sometimes mumbling to himself.

Ted sniggered into his hand. "What's so funny?", Harry asked with a low voice.

"Well, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban about twenty years ago. That guy seems to be slightly touched in the head … and Sirius turned out to be completely innocent as well …", Ted said rolling his eyes.

"Okay …", Harry said. "How old are you anyway?"

"Eleven. This September I'm starting Hogwarts. What house are you in?"

"I'm a Gryffindor", Harry said.

"I'll see you there then. The best house!", Ted exclaimed happily.

"So, your godfather, what kind of a guy is he?", Harry asked. "Are you sure that I can stay at his place just like that? I mean, I could write to one of my friends …"

"Yes, of course you can come stay with me", Ted said. "He's great. He's got this awesome family. Three little kids and his wife is a professional Quidditch player! He himself is an auror."

"What's an auror?"

"They catch dark wizards …"

"Wow, sounds nice."

"Hey, what's that on your forehead?", Ted asked suddenly.

Harry pushed his hair down over his forehead and mumbled: "Nothing." He looked away from the other boy, out of the window. Ted was looking at him with his mouth agape. Harry lay down, pretending to fall asleep. Ted did not say anything anymore and so they drove on through the night.

….

At dawn, Harry was ungently shaken awake by Stan. Ted was already ready to go. Harry took his suitcase and the two boys left the bus. They stood on a big street. On their left were house facades, on their right a park sprawled beneath a castle on a hill over an old town.

"Come", said Ted. "Over there's a wizard's café, the "Firebreather", there we can travel through the fireplace to my godfather." His glance wandered once more to Harry's forehead with a questioning glance, but then he turned around and crossed the street towards the coffee shop.

Harry followed in silence. They were nearly the only ones in the dim joint. Some scattered witches and wizards were drinking their first cup of coffee of the day and browsing through newspapers. Ted marched straight past the tables and to the chimney at the rear of the joint. "Morning, Sascha!", he called in passing towards the counter.

A man with a gigantic moustache appeared behind the bar and scrutinized the two boys. "Well then?", he said. "Whither goest thou in this early hour of the morning, milords?"

"We know Sascha", said Ted casually. "We only need to use the fireplace."

The innkeeper told them that he knew no Sascha and named the price to use the Floopowder.

"You will have to pay that …", Ted mumbled out of the corner of his mouth. "My godfather will repay you, of course."

Harry paid. He was feeling a bit queasy because he remembered the last time he had travelled by floopowder.

"Griffin's nest", Ted called and stepped into the fire. It spit him forcefully back out.

"Griffin's nest?", the innkeeper chortled. He was cleaning a glass and shook his head buoyantly. "The things the youth of today thinks up …"

"But that's how I get to my godfather's place", Ted said, furrowing his brows exasperatedly as he picked himself up from the floor and dusted some ash from his coat.

"It does not seem to work very well, my boy", said the innkeeper. Ted threw an annoyed glance in his direction and sat down on a chair. Harry sat down next to him and studied the paper that was lying on the table in front of them. On its front was the picture of a malnourished man with long, filthy dark hair. "SIRIUS BLACK ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN", it said with big letters.

"Um, are you sure that Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban twenty years ago?", Harry asked, holding the paper up for Ted to see. Curiously Ted bent forward and looked at the headline. "Sure", he said at last. "Look at the date."

Harry couldn't see anything peculiar about the date. "Yes, that's today", he said calmly.

Ted answered his questioning look with a wide eyed expression on his face. Then he looked pleadingly at the innkeeper and said: "Tell me, is that an old paper?"

"No, no, it's today's paper", he answered and looked at him with a puzzled frown.

Ted opened his mouth, shut it again and at last took Harry by the arm. "Come with me", he whispered and pulled Harry outside. He pulled him over the street and into the park. There he stopped and said: "You are Harry Potter, right?"

"Um, yes", Harry said. He was slightly surprised by Ted's sudden disquiet.

"We've got a problem", said Ted. "Yesterday, I wanted to take a portkey to my godfather's. And that godfather is no other than Harry Potter. However, he is 28 years old. He's not a scrawny little boy like you."

After that torrent of words, Ted was silent and ran a hand through his blue hair. Harry was gaping at him. "Do you want to tell me that you are a time traveller?", he asked at last with some doubt in his voice.

"Yes, exactly", said Ted and looked at Harry as if the older boy was supposed to know all the solutions for his problems. Harry did some math in the mean time. "And your parents were wacky enough to make me your godfather when I was just seventeen?", he asked warily.

"They knew you'd be the best", Ted said with a sad smile.

"Do I know them?", Harry said and tried to think of some acquaintance who might end up making him godfather in about four years time.

Ted considered the question for a moment. Then he shook his head: "Not yet."

"And do you have any way to prove that you are indeed my godson?", Harry asked.

„Um", Ted said and thought for a bit. Then his face brightened: „In your first year you helped Hagrid to smuggle a dragon out of Hogwarts ..."

"Draco Malfoy knew about that."

"Okay … um … Hermione and you, no, wait a minute, that was in your third year … Ha! Once upon a time you let a snake loose on your cousin in a muggle zoo … it was on his birthday. And you've coloured the hair of one of your muggle teachers blue!" Now Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair. With wide eyes he looked at the boy that seemed to be a time traveller from his future.

Ted wandered to a park bench and sat down heavily. "And you're not Fred or George in disguise?", Harry asked faintly, as he sat down next to his godson. For a while they sat in silence and considered their options.

"We need help. I mean … I need help", Ted said finally.

"Yeah", Harry said.

A plan was forming in Ted's head: "The best thing would be to go to my grandma. She will know what to do. I don't want to go to my parents … what if I end up never being born or something?"

Harry decided to hope that Ted's grandmother was a capable witch and agreed with the plan. The two boys trudged back to the "Firebreather". Ted led the way through the fireplace and Harry followed.


	2. Chapter 2

After a wild floopowder ride a dizzy Harry landed on the floor of a kitchen next to Ted and in front of a woman around twenty with pink hair. She was pointing at them with her wand.

"Who are you two and what are you doing in my home?", she asked with raised eyebrows.

Ted stood still and looked at her with big, yellow eyes that contrasted nicely with his blue hair.

"Um", said Harry. "We are looking for … um."

"Andromeda Tonks", Ted helped him on.

The young woman was wearing a half amused, and half wary expression as she scrutinized the two boys.

"She's on holiday. She won't be back until in three weeks", she said at last. Ted walked over to the next kitchen chair and sat down on it with an empty look in his eyes.

"Then … we will just leave again", said Harry who was slowly making a connection between the colourful hair.

"Hey!", the woman exclaimed suddenly with a look at his scar. "You're Harry Potter! I've spent the entire night looking for you!"

"What?", said Harry.

"I'm working for the ministry … now, and you've disappeared from the house of your relatives just after Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban!", she said and looked full of distrust at Ted as if he might turn out to be a dark magician any minute. There was a significant pause.

"That was kind of my fault", Ted said at last. "I had an accident with a portkey and landed at Harry's place. Then his uncle threw this tantrum. So, who are you anyways?" His face had turned somewhat innocent and unassuming.

"I'm Tonks", she said. "Andromeda's daughter. Was that an approved portkey?"

Ted still looked suspiciously innocent and glanced everywhere at once, just not at Tonks' face. His hair turned a shrill shade of purple. "Hey, you're a metamorphmagus too! That's not something one sees everyday!", Tonks said. Ted nodded with a bright smile. Harry tried to imagine how he would feel if a time travelling accident ever landed him in front of his mother. He felt a slight twinge of jealousy towards his little godson.

"Alright", said Tonks. "Have you two had breakfast yet? I for my part am starving!"

Harry and Ted exchanged a relieved look, seen as the interrogation seemed to be over for now. This Tonks was quite alright!

"No", Harry said. "But you don't have to go to any trouble for us!"

"Oh, that's no trouble at all. And by the way you haven't told me what you wanted my mother for yet", Tonks sad and brandished her wand. "Please, sit down!"

Without backtalk Harry sat down next to Ted at the kitchen table that was soon overly full with delicious food. "So, you are an auror?", Ted asked as he spread some butter on a piece of bread. "What made you choose that job?"

Tonks made a serious face and said: "The call of adventure lured me into it. But compared to what one imagines the auror life's quite a bore actually… Except if a Black escapes from Azkaban and Harry Potter disappears over night …" She smirked at the two boys. "But now you two have to tell me, where you know my mother from!"

Ted and Harry exchanged a helpless look.

"Do I have to tell the minister that the two of you are here?", Tonks threatened.

"Please don't!", said Ted. "He might put Harry back to his awful relatives!"

"Where he would be safe from Black", Tonks said earnestly and looked quickly out of the window as if the villain might appear there any minute.

Ted opened his mouth and shut it again without saying anything. Harry now remembered that Ted had told him last night, that Sirius Black was innocent. Was that not something they should tell an auror as long as they had the chance? Or was it something that even Harry should not know? Was Ted's birth endangered? Everything became a bit chaotic in Harry's brain until all he could think about was that Quidditch playing wife Ted had mentioned …

…

"I'm a relative", Ted blurted out. Tonks and Harry jolted out of their peaceful breakfast state at that declaration. "My name is Scorpius Black and I am the son of the late Regulus Black, the cousin of your mother. My mother has died now too and I wanted to come here by portkey because I have nowhere else to go …" He trailed off and waited breathlessly for her reaction.

Tonks put the piece of bread from which she had just wanted to take a bite back onto her plate. Curiously she scrutinized Ted from head to tow. "Strange that mum never mentioned you", she said at last.

"They've kept me secret from the Blacks because my mum was a muggle", Ted answered quickly with dramatically widened eyes. Harry felt a certain respect for the acting skills of his new friend. He also wondered how common the surname Black was amongst the wizarding folk.

"Can Harry and me stay here? Just until the school year starts anew?", Ted added. That instant, he seemed to be going strong.

At first, Tonks seemed to be taken by surprise. Then a smile spread across her face: "Of course. I'm always up for no good. So you're some kind of cousin?"

Ted and Harry would have liked to do a little dance of victory now, but they held back and simply shared a relieved look across the table. Suddenly they jumped, for a knock came from the kitchen window.

Through the window looking in were two owls. One of them Harry recognised right away. It was his Hedwig who looked somewhat angry and let out an annoyed screech. Next to her was a handsome tawny owl that he did not recognise. Curious he opened the window and let them in. Now he could see, that the two of them were carrying a third owl to which a gigantic packet was tied. It was the Weasley's Errol.

"Oh dear", said Tonks, looking at the weak old bird and coming over as well. Harry could now see that the tawny owl was carrying not only a parcel but also a Hogwarts letter. Tonks untied the big package from Errol's foot and laid her onto the kitchen counter. When Harry relieved the tawny owl from its weight, it turned straight around and flew off into the morning.

"Must be my birthday presents", Harry said in awe.

"It's your birthday?", the two answered, surprised.

"Well, yeah, yesterday."

"That sounds like we will have to celebrate!", Tonks said happily.

"Open them!" Ted said just as excited as if he had got the presents himself.

Harry first opened the big parcel from the Weasleys and thus found out that they were in Egypt at the moment. Next came Hedwig's delivery which turned out to be from Hermione who turned out to be in France. At last he opened the parcel from Hagrid, a big biting book.

While the boys fled from it onto two kitchen chairs, Tonks had a fit of laughter and caught the book, binding it back together and shoving it into a cupboard. "Oh Hagrid", she said, shaking her head.

"You know Hagrid?", Harry asked.

"Yes. It's not been that long since I went to Hogwarts myself …"

They were finished with breakfast and with the owls taken care of, Tonks led them up the stairs to a bedroom the two boys would share under the tilted roof. "Well, you two make yourselves at home, I will go and take some days off", she said. "Family urgency or something like that …"

They followed her back downstairs and watched her disappear through the fireplace. She had not been gone for long, when the door bell rung. Harry and Ted were lounging on the couch and talking about the Forbidden Forrest, when they heard the bell ring. They both froze in their movements and shared a look of deepest disquiet.

"That's not good", said Ted.

"Let's ignore it", said Harry. "After all no one's supposed to know we're here."

Breathless, they waited.

"Seems to have gone", said Ted after a while.

BANG … they heard the door fly out of its hinges.

"Kind of a violent visitor, don't you think?", said Ted as they both grabbed their wands and made for the doorway. Harry was there first, little Ted hidden behind him. In the doorframe stood a stranger in a rundown old wizard's cloak and with thick grey brown hair. "Who are you and what are you doing here?", Harry asked, his voice much steadier than he felt.

„Harry?", the man asked with a hoarse voice.

„Who wants to know?", Harry said coolly.

The man walked towards him and looked over his shoulder with his wand brandished. The sight of a blue haired Ted didn't seem to unsettle him much. "Are you two alone?", he asked.

"Would we seriously tell you that?", Ted said with raised eyebrows. His expression clearly stated that he was not that stupid.

"Harry and friend", the man said, "I'm Professor Lupin, your new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Dumbledore has sent me to look for you. You don't need to be afraid, I'm not here to harm you."

Ted gasped audibly for breath and took a step back.

"We don't need help", Harry said brusquely. "And how do we know you're telling the truth?" But then he realised something. "Wait a minute. Did you just say that your name was Lupin?" He threw an inquisitive glance back towards his new friend. Ted was taking the Professor in with wide eyes and was strangely muted.

The man looked at Harry with wide eyes: "Does that name tell you something? What have you been told about me? Where are your kidnappers?"

'That you've got a brilliant son', Harry thought. "Nothing", Harry said. "I thought I'd heard the name somewhere, but that must have been a mistake."

"Harry, why are you here? Have you been threatened? You can tell me everything", Lupin said.

"What's happening here?", Tonks' clear voice suddenly resounded in the hallway. The pink haired woman appeared from the kitchen, in her right hand her raised wand, her left hand on Ted's shoulder.

"That's what I want to ask you", Lupin growled, looking at her with distrust in his eyes. "You are auror Tonks, right? Why do I find Harry Potter hidden away in your house, while the entire wizard community is out looking for him?" He was talking very calmly and quietly, but his eyes were blazing.

"And who are you to be blasting my house apart and to be asking those questions?", Tonks huffed.

"I am Professor Lupin. Harry's new teacher", the man said coolly. "Professor Dumbledore sends me."

So it transpired that Tonks and Lupin were facing each other for the first time in their lives, their wands drawn and close to a duell.

"This is actually my fault", Ted calmly joined the conversation at that point.

The Professor threw a quick glance in his direction and answered looking at Tonks: "I don't think a grown auror can put the weight of her decisions on the shoulders of a boy."

"Oh, so you always adhere to the rules?", Ted asked.

Tonks was looking from Ted to Lupin with raised eyebrows.

"Are you aware of how impossible it is to make Harry's summer holidays enjoyable, far away from his relatives and the ministry?", Ted continued, getting himself in a right rage. "Okay, so we haven't told anyone where he is. But that's how no one with evil thoughts can find him!"

Lupin lowered his wand. He had a kind of melancholy look on his face. Then he turned towards Harry and said seriously: "We've been worried, Harry."

Tonks put her wand away and said cheerfully: "Coffee?" Lupin nodded and Ted drew a relieved breath. Tonks threw one last exasperate look at her door and then she lead them into the kitchen.

Lupin told them briefly how Dumbledore had found out Harry's location by tracking the school owl flying to him with his letter and how the headmaster had then sent Lupin to make sure that Harry was alright.

"I will have to inform the headmaster now that I've found Harry and that he is well", said Lupin.

"Please don't", said Ted.

Lupin scrutinized the boy with a surprised look in his eyes.

"He'll send Harry back to the horrible Dursleys …", Ted said with a frown.

"With the right precautions we might keep that from happening. Professor Dumbledore is someone one can reason with", Lupin reassured the boy and finally asked out of curiosity: "You are a fellow student of Harry's? I didn't know that a metamorphmagus is enrolled at Hogwarts …"

Ted shrunk shyly from his inquisitive look: "I'm only just starting Hogwarts .. and me and Harry are more casual acquaintances."

"Scorpius is my cousin", Tonks explained in an undertone of pride. Harry smiled at Ted.

"I understand", said Lupin. "And how did Harry end up here?"

Tonks put a reassuring hand onto Ted's shoulder and explained for the two boys: "Scorpius wanted to take a portkey to my mother Andromeda because his mother has died of late and his father Regulus Black has been dead for a while. But the portkey took him to Harry's room by accident. Because of the racket, Harry's uncle got angry and the two of them fled to our place."

"You are Regulus' son?" Lupin asked surprised.

Ted widened his eyes dramatically: "Have you known my father?"

"Distantly", Lupin said with an indeed distant look in his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Ted and Harry had made themselves at home in the big, comfy chairs in the parlour of the Tonks'. Lupin was walking up and down in front of them since he had sent off a strange, silvery being from his wand. As soon as the serious Professor turned his back on Ted, the boy morphed his face in peculiar grimaces and stuck his tongue out. Harry wore a broad grin.

Tonks leaned in the door of the veranda with an amused look on her face. Lupin and Tonks did not seem to trust each other quite yet, for they were both playing with their wands between their fingers. Harry thought that only Snape and the Bloody Baron were further away from having a child together than these two.

"What qualifies you for Defense Against the Dark Arts, anyway?", Ted broke the silence finally. Lupin threw an alert glance into the direction of the bold boy. He did not seem to be bothered by the cheeky question as he started to tell them about his travels and his research on dark creatures.

He seemed much more at ease than when he had blasted the door apart and Harry could imagine him well as a teacher. Ted had stopped morphing and was hanging onto every word his father (?) said. Lupin was talking about encounters from Romania to the Himalaya. Harry was wondering why on earth this talented and far travelled wizard would make a scrawny git like him the godfather of his son in four years time. He didn't find a coherent reasoning. They were all so absorbed by Lupin's story telling that it took them a while to notice the man who had appeared in the kitchen door.

As Lupin noticed the man and trailed off, the two boys also turned around in their seats.

Ted's mouth gaped. "You are Professor Dumbledore, right?", he said reverently.

"Yes, that would be me", the man with the long white beard, the half moon glasses and the cloak covered with silver stars said. He stepped into the room and nodded towards Harry. Then he turned to Ted and asked: "And whose acquaintance am I making?"

"That's my cousin Scorpius Black", Tonks answered for her son. Dumbledore nodded and turned towards Lupin: "Thank you for informing me, Remus." Then he turned towards Harry and Ted with a twinkle in his eyes: "We've been worried. However, it seems that everything turned out alright."

"Well", said Ted, who seemed to have found both his voice and cheek again. "If you didn't send him to those awful relatives each summer, then he wouldn't have to run away! And he didn't even properly run away: his uncle threw him out!"

Dumbledore suddenly looked very aged: "Is that true, Harry? Did your relatives throw you out?"

Harry nodded. Dumbledore and Lupin exchanged a long, worried glance.

At this moment, Tonks entered back into the conversation: "You are not thinking of putting him back to those Dursleys, are you, Professor?" She flashed her eyes at the two men. Harry now noticed that Ted's expression was quite similar to her's.

Dumbledore lifted his arms reassuringly: "Harry can stay here, if you are willing to look after the two boys, Miss Tonks. However, I would like for Remus to stay here as well, for security reasons." He turned towards Ted with a curious look on his face: "You are entering the first year, Mr. Black?"

Ted nodded and looked innocently up at him.

"Excellent", said Dumbledore and fixed the eyes of the boy with his clear blue gaze. Then he turned away with a chuckle and took his leave. Tonks asked him for his help with the destroyed doorway and after that was back up, the headmaster left in a hurry even though he was invited for lunch. That was how Ted and Harry were left with a wary witch called Tonks and a wary wizard called Lupin.

"So", Lupin said and turned towards Ted with a dangerous spark in his eyes. "Now you have to explain to me once again, how you ended up at the Dursley's."

"A faulty portkey", Ted answered with an unassuming look in his eyes.

"That should have brought you … here?", Lupin went on asking. He was obviously not that easy to shake off. "I'm just a bit surprised that Regulus Black had a son …"

"My mother was a muggle. That's why I was kept secret", Ted said and paused. At last he went on with a sad look on his face: "I would prefer not to talk about it …"

"His mother has only just died", Tonks interrupted the interrogation with an angry undertone in her voice. She had stepped closer to Ted and put a comforting hand onto his shoulder. "I don't think it's your place to question him about what happened."

"I just find it strange that of all the places Ted could have landed at, he ended up with Harry Potter", Lupin said. His eyes were still fixed on the boy.

"Professor Dumbledore didn't seem to worry about that", Tonks said. "Therefore you don't have to work up a headache about it. So, is anyone else up for lunch?"

Lunch was a relatively quiet affair. None of the four present, who had been, after all, all strangers to each other until at least the night before, seemed to know how to break the ice. Harry couldn't wait to get up from the table and talk to Ted alone. There was so much he wanted to ask him! Ted seemed to be caught up in his own little world and nearly didn't touch his food at all, while he took in every word his future parents spoke.

The two adults were trying to keep a conversation going for propriety's sake. They were talking about Hogwarts, which seemed to be quite a safe topic.

"So, are you looking forward to going back to your old school as a teacher?", Tonks asked.

For the first time since Lupin had stepped into the house an honest and open smile stole onto his face: "I can't wait", he said.

"Let's go for a walk", Harry said to Ted as soon as they had finished eating. "I mean", he added, turning towards the adults, "it's okay if we go outside, right?"

Lupin furrowed his brow, but Tonks shrugged and said: "Yeah, sure. Just don't leave the garden."

In no time the two boys left the house and went down to the little pond at the far corner of the garden. They walked in silence until they were out of earshot. "So, those are your parents, right?", Harry asked.

"Yes, they will be."

"They didn't really seem like a couple", Harry went on, speaking his mind.

"I know. That's because they aren't even supposed to know each other yet", Ted said and dropped into the grass by the lake. He pulled his legs close and stared into the water.

For a while they sat in silence. Then Harry couldn't hold back any longer. "Why did you lie to Professor Dumbledore?", he asked. "I mean, he is probably the only one that can get you back to your own time. If he can't help you, no one can."

"It's because …" Ted sighed, picked up a pebble and threw it into the lake. "It's because they are my parents. I mean, you should be the one to understand me best …"

Harry looked puzzled: "I don't understand."

"My parents, they …", Ted faltered, but then he went on with a sad voice: "My parents died when I was a few months old. It's so amazing to have them in front of me, alive and kicking. I want to talk to them; I want to get to know them. Even if my dad is busy being suspicious of me, I don't care, as long as I can be close to him."

Now Harry didn't know what to say. He gazed into the distance and thought about how similar Ted was to him. Of course he understood the younger boy. If ever he got anywhere close to his living parents, he would not leave very fast. And he would certainly not go and tell Dumbledore to send him home.

"I'll help you to stay here as long as you want to", he said at last in a solemn tone.

„So, why did they make me your godfather?", Harry added. „I mean, they don't even know me!"

Ted supported his elbows against his knees and looked towards Harry without answering. He seemed to be caught up in his own thoughts. But then he answered: "That's easy: firstly, you are an awesome person and you would have gotten to know them soon without my trip to the past. Secondly Lupin was good friends with your father back when they went to school together. It's a kind of family thing." Harry's eyes widened. He was seized with the urge to run back to the house and question Lupin about his father. The afternoon passed as the two boys sat by the lake, sometimes talking, sometimes in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi guys! I was actually a bit stuck in my writing and then there's that real life stress. But yesterday I went online again and saw all the nice reviews I've been getting – I really appreciate them, thanks guys! That's why I decided to upload what I've got, a slightly shorter chapter 4 for you so you know that this isn't abandoned, it's just moving forward rather slowly … well, I hope you enjoy :)

**Chapter 4**

On the terrace, Tonks was busy trying to think of something to talk about with this stranger. Lupin had sat down on the steps leading down from the terrace and was watching the two boys by the pond with watchful eyes. Tonks was leaning against a pole of the terrace roof and looking at the older man with an inquisitive look in her eyes. In fact, Lupin was not a complete stranger. Tonks knew, that the aurors had had him in their department for some questioning after the breakout of Sirius Black. Apparently, Lupin had been an old friend of Black. She also knew that the man was a werewolf. And she knew that Dumbledore trusted him enough to make him a professor at his school. But then again, even Lockhart had been made a professor at Hogwarts …

So she was standing there trying to make herself a picture of the man she was to guard these kids with when a loud POP announced an arrival by apparition in the living room. Tonks and Lupin had their wands out within the blink of an eye. They exchanged a quick glance before they turned towards the intruder.

In front of them stood a young man with golden curls, twinkling eyes and a broad smile.

"Lorcan," Tonks deadpanned. What on earth was he doing here?

"Hey, Tonksy," he said and swaggered over to her. His eyes were fixed on Lupin with a challenging smirk on his face. Then he kissed her squarely on the mouth.

Tonks was stunned. Since when was Lorcan, her on and off lover, the possessive type? Hadn't he been in love with that chick Laura the other week? Men! He was a good kisser though, so everything was forgotten for a moment.

"Listen, Lorcan, I don't really have time right now," she told him with an apologetic smile, pushing against his breast with one hand to bring some distance between them.

Lupin had simply raised one eyebrow, nodded towards the other man in greeting and turned around to watch the boys again.

"Don't you want to introduce us?" Lorcan asked with a frown in Lupin's direction.

"I'm working, Lork," she said and shrugged. "We'll see each other some other time … maybe after we agreed upon it by owl?"

"Sure, sure, chill it. I just felt like hanging out with you … but if you're busy … well, I'm around if you want to see me," he shrugged. He looked so apologetic and endearing that Tonks was even a little bit sorry that she had to throw him out.

"Yeah," she said. "See you around."

With a wave of his wand he was gone.

"Your boyfriend?" Lupin was looking out towards the boys again.

"Na … not really … well, I don't really know what we are," she said and sat down next to him. They shared the afternoon in silence.

….

When Harry and Ted got back to the house, Lupin and Tonks were sitting on the steps running down from the terrace to the garden, deep in thought. The boys greeted them and stopped.

"Are we going to be locked up in the house until school starts?", Ted asked.

"It looks like it. There is some good protection around this place and no one knows that you are here," Lupin answered and smiled weakly up at the two boys. Ted made a grimace, but Harry didn't mind. Anything was better than being stuck at the Dursleys'. What Harry was thinking of, however, were his friends Ron and Hermione. Usually, when crazy things like a godson dropping in from his future happened to him, they were by his side. "I'll go and write to my friends", he said and made to go up into the house.

"Remember not to tell them where you are", Lupin warned him. "In case the letter gets intercepted."

Ted sat down between the werewolf and his mother, while Harry entered the house. For a while they sat in silence.

"You knew my dad, right?", Ted said at last. "What kind of a guy was he?"

Remus looked slightly unsettled. What in the world was he supposed to tell the boy? "I thought I knew his brother", he said at last. "But even that turned out to be untrue."

"You mean Sirius Black?" Ted said with wide eyes. Lupin nodded. Ted was opening and closing his mouth soundlessly for a few moments. His brain was working hard. Finally he said: "Do you think people could have made a mistake? I mean, that Sirius didn't kill all those people? That he could be innocent?"

Lupin's face had turned into a mask. He had a far off look in his eyes.

When he didn't answer, Ted went on: "I mean … he was always one of the good guys, right? No one expected him to turn on them!"

"For a young lad you know an awful lot", said Remus at last, looking at his unknown son with an inquisitive look.

"Weeelll", said Ted and shifted uncomfortably. Should he simply tell his parents everything? Was it cruel to hold back this information on Sirius Black?

"There were a lot of witnesses," Tonks said. "So as much as we all want Sirius to be innocent, he certainly is not."

Ted turned towards her: "What would you know about him?"

"Well, he was my mum's favourite cousin after all before he turned out to be a traitor," Tonks answered with a sad expression on her face. "But let's not talk about that kind of thing … what about some Elvis Costello?"

"Some what?" father and son chorused.

"Seriously, you two don't know Elvis Costello? He's my favourite muggle recording artist of all times!" Tonks said happily and got up.

"Let's hear it," Ted said and jumped up on his feet excitedly. His grandmother had never told him anything about his mother's music taste … Lupin remained sitting as Ted followed his mother into the living room. There she went through her CD collection. "Well, my absolute favourite is: 'Every Day I Write the Book'," Tonks explained. "I just love the lyrics … you're probably still a bit too young to appreciate them, but, well, whatever … and 'I'll Wear it Proudly' is just amazing I mean 'If they had a king of fools, I would wear that crown' … and Veronica … it's about this disabled old lady, but it's just got this joy and spirit … I guess you've got to get the irony …" Her eyes were shining as she talked about her favourite musician. "And he's got soooo many more amazing songs, he's just a brilliant songwriter …"

…

The boys had gone to bed early, seen as that was the time when they could talk in secret and think up some schemes together (at least that's what Ted was thinking of). Or maybe simply because they were tired (Harry). They had a room under the roof of the house and Ted could see the stars through the skylight. As he was snuggling into his bed he let the day pass by again before his eyes. He had met his mum and his dad! They were real and alive. They were still up downstairs, both peacefully engrossed in some book or the other. A wonderful warm feeling was spreading in Teddy's tummy.

"There's something that keeps coming back up in my mind," Harry said, breaking the silence.

"What is it?" Ted asked.

"When we were on the Knight Bus … well, you said that this Sirius Black guy is innocent. Is that true? Is the ministry hunting down an innocent man?" By now Harry was sitting up in his bed looking inquisitively at Ted.

Ted sighed and sat up as well. He though for a moment and then began to speak: "I don't know the entire story. But Harry, I mean the older you, has told me some things about Sirius Black because his story is also interlinked with my dad's story. It's a pretty sad tale …"

Harry was looking at him attentively.

"Well," Ted continued to speak. "Back at Hogwarts, dad was best friends with three other boys: together they were known as the marauders. Their names were Remus Lupin, James Potter …" Harry gasped but he did not interrupt the other boy who went on to say: "Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. They were thick as thieves … And so they remained friends even after they had left Hogwarts. The marauders joined Dumbledore's cause against You-know-who and they fought many battles together. Sadly, after some time, they found out that one of them was a traitor …"

Ted stopped speaking and seemed to consider how to go on. Then he said: "When your parents went into hiding they needed a secret keeper."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Someone that hides you away so that only he can tell people where you can be found. Your parents, they performed that charm. Everyone thought that Sirius Black had been their secret keeper, because best friend, but actually it was Peter Pettigrew. And that's why Black was locked up in Azkaban and Pettigrew still walks around as a free man."

"So no one knows that Black is innocent?" Harry asked stunned.

"Yes," Ted said. "Not even dad … they never told him about the switch in secret keepers …"

"We've got to help him," Harry said with a definite tone to his voice.

"Yes," Ted said. "The question is: How?"


	5. Chapter 5

Hello dear readers! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback :)

Sakura Lisel: well, hehe, I need to have some fun writing too, don't I? ;) the biggest problem would probably be if someone did the maths and realized, well … you'll see

Alicia Mirza: thanks for the idea with Ron and Hermione … AND I don't think Tonks is showing any particular taste in men by being with Lorcan, it's more that she's just having some fun …

**Chapter 5**

The next two days went by in a blur. The two boys got along very well and the adults both enjoyed each other's company as well. It was the evening of Ted and Harry's third day at the Tonks' place that Lupin was sitting in an armchair and reading a book while the two boys and the auror were playing Exploding Snap on the floor. The peaceful atmosphere was not bound to go on: a loud crash came from the kitchen and was followed by two bickering voices.

"Oi! Get off me!" a boy complained.

"You could have moved out of the way! And you're black all over, by the way," a girl said with a certain know-it-all tone.

Two voices Harry knew very well.

"Stay here," Tonks told the boys. Lupin and her had their wands out and were moving slowly towards the commotion.

"But it's Ron and Hermione," Harry said, jumping up and following them.

Tonks rolled her eyes and exchanged an exasperate look with Lupin. That was when Harry's two best friends appeared in the doorway from the kitchen to the living room, covered in ashes.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed happily.

"Hi Hermione, hi Ron," Harry said slightly confused. "Weren't you in France and in Egypt?"

"That's what I thought too," Tonks mumbled and let her defence down. Lupin also put his wand away.

"Yeees," Ron said and shrugged.

"You see, when you sent us both letters saying we don't need to worry about you that's when we started to worry about you," Hermione said. Ted sniggered and the two newcomers turned towards him with curious looks. "It's just … that doesn't sound very logical and I always thought you were smart, Hermione," Ted explained, still smirking.

"Erm, do we know each other?" Hermione asked, one eyebrow arched.

"Oh, well, Harry has told me aaaalllll about you, of course," Ted said.

"And you are?" Ron asked, scrutinizing the younger boy.

"Scorpius," he said with a straight face as if he was quite used to introduce himself with that name. Harry shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Lying to adults was okay, especially to teachers (Lupin) and ministry workers (Tonks). But to his two best friends?

"How did you know that you could find Harry here?" Lupin asked.

"Well, when Harry sent us those letters and I had overheard … something … my parents were talking about, Hermione and me, we wrote to each other and decided to come home and make sure that Harry's alright," Ron said.

"As soon as we had decided that, I wrote to Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said. "He met us at the Burrow just earlier and told us how to get to Harry."

"What were your parents talking about?" Ted asked full of curiosity.

Hermione made a movement with her hand as if to silence the redhead. But Ron was already talking: "They said that Sirius Black is after Harry!"

Lupin and Tonks exchanged a worried glance before they turned towards Harry to see how he'd take the news. Harry was not really flustered.

"Oh," Harry said. "Well that sounds … kinda bad." Ted put a hand over his mouth. Usually, the young metamorphmagus was a good actor, but right now he looked as if he was going to burst out laughing any minute.

Lupin sighed and drew a hand through his thick hair. "Harry," he said. "You must not underestimate Sirius Black. That man is capable of anything."

While Ted was fighting for a serious countenance, Harry tried to look frightened and nodded. Hermione and Ron were looking back and forth between Ted and Harry with furrowed brows.

"Well, hot chocolate, anyone?" Tonks asked and walked past Ron and Hermione into the kitchen. "Yeess!" Ted exclaimed and followed her like a dog that was about to be fed.

"Sure," Ron said.

They all crowded into the kitchen.

"So, why are you here, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"My relatives have thrown me out of the house," Harry said, not looking sorry at all.

"Why didn't you write to us?"

"I did write to you! I told you not to worry! I mean … it's great that you're here, but I just mean…" Harry trailed off.

"And how did you end up here in this house?" Ron asked.

"He came with me," Ted said, making an important face.

"And you met where?"

"In my room," Harry said. "Ted landed there with a malfunctioning portkey. After that we came here because Tonks is Ted's cousin." Harry really hoped they would postpone their further questions until they were out of the hearing range of the adults. Somehow they seemed to understand and Hermione turned towards Lupin with an inquisitive look on her face.

"You are Professor Lupin, are you not? Professor Dumbledore told us that you are going to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts …"

Lupin nodded, smiling.

"And you're an auror?" Ron asked Tonks, slightly awed.

Tonks nodded, smiling.

That was the moment when, with a flourish of her wand, Tonks let a cup of hot chocolate fly over to each of her guests.

…

It was arranged that Ron and Hermione should stay over as well for the time being. As soon as the four children had retired to the room of the boys, Harry reopened the door to see whether there was truly no one listening in on them. Then, closing the door, he turned around and announced with a broad grin: "Hermione, Ron, meet Ted Lupin: my godson from the future."

Hermione and Ron exchanged a worried glance and turned towards Ted with questioning looks in their eyes.

Ted did a deep bow: "Ted Remus Lupin. At your service, milady, at your service, Ron."

"I …" Hermione started, "I mean … what in the name of Merlin, Harry?"

"It was an accident," Ted said. "I wanted to take a Portkey to my godfather … I mean the twenty-nine year old one, but instead I landed in front of young Harry here."

"Young? You're one to talk," Harry said. He was still grinning. Somehow to be reminded of the monstrous age of twenty-nine, which he would actually reach, and with that Quidditch playing wife at the back of his mind, he was in a good mood.

"And you're not in some conspiracy with Fred and George?" said Ron. "I mean, this boy is really from the future?" Hermione was frowning and obviously thinking hard.

"Yeah," Harry said. "He's not Tonks' cousin, but her son."

"And Lupin is the father?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, that down there would be my parents," Ted said.

"But … so, they don't know you've come back in time? Why have you hidden this from them?" Hermione asked.

"Because they'd send me back," Ted said and pouted.

"Um, and don't you want to be in your own time? I mean that's where all of your friends are and … well, not that I believe you yet!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ted's parents died when he was just a baby," Harry explained.

Ron and Hermione were silent for a while, thinking. Ted let himself fall into his bed and glared up at the skylight.

"Oh Harry," Hermione sighed at last. "If all this is true then … well, I can understand that Ted would like to be with his parents. But there is a good reason why the adults would send him back to his own time right away if they knew! Don't you see that his stay here could have horrible consequences?"

"But he's just here with us in the house. What could happen here?" Harry said energetically.

"A lot! What if he influences his parents in a way that he ends up never being born? Imagine all that could happen to him when he finally returns to his own time!"

"And what if he influences us all in a good way?" Harry retorted. "After all he's already told me that …"

"Told you what?" Hermione snapped.

"That Sirius Black is innocent!" Harry snapped right back.

Hermione and Ron exchanged a startled glance.

"Um Harry, a lot of people saw him kill those muggles …" Ron said.

"What muggles?" Ted asked, sitting up in his bed.

"The twelve muggles and one wizard that Black blew up. The reason why he was sent to Azkaban," Hermione said in a tone as if she was speaking to a small child.

Harry looked in confusion from Ted to his two friends. "Of course Sirius didn't blow up anyone," Ted said and shook his head violently.

"Right," Hermione's voice was full of doubt. "And why do you think they locked him up in Azkaban?"

"I only ever heard the secret keeper story," Ted told them sheepishly.

"Ted told me that Sirius was my parents' best friend," Harry said. "And when they knew that Voldemort was after them, they wanted to make him their secret keeper. And that was the official story everyone believes in: that Sirius was my parents' secret keeper and that he sold them out. But actually, he swapped places with their other friend … what's his name again?"

"Peter Pettigrew," Ted spat out.

"Yes, so it was actually that Pettigrew guy who betrayed them to Voldemort and not Sirius," Harry explained. Anger was boiling inside of him. The night after he had talked with Ted about the betrayal of his parents by one of their best friends, he had not gotten very much sleep.

Hermione gasped: "Peter Pettigrew? But that is the wizard he blew up!"

A leaden weight sunk into Harry's stomach. For just two days he had hoped that there was some kind of "relative" still out there, someone to look up to. All that was crumbling within minutes. He looked questioningly at Ted, but the boy was subdued, lying in his bed again, looking up at the birds flying by.

"So Black did that crazy mass murder to avenge your parents?" Ron asked, stunned.

Harry shrugged. He did not know what to answer. What a mess all of this was!


	6. Chapter 6

Dear readers, as always lots of thanks for the support :).

Feluriana: don't worry about the maths, it will all be explained ;)

**Chapter 6**

"Sirius Black is alright and I know it," Ted said sitting up in his bed. "If you believe that I am Harry's godson from the future then you must also believe that."

"The problem is," Ron said. "We don't quite believe you …"

"If I trust him," Harry said. "Shouldn't that be enough? He knows things I haven't even told you two …"

Hermione frowned. "Well," she said. "Dark wizards have their ways of finding out the information they need."

Ted snorted. "Honestly," he said. "Do I look like a dark wizard? Don't you think I'd look fairer and feel fouler?"

Ron gave him an appraising look. "You do have a point there," he said.

Hermione was smiling wistfully. "Are you quoting Lord of the Rings?" she asked.

"Sure," Ted said, grinning.

Hermione sighed and threw up her hands. "Okay, good. So you are Harry's godson from the future… and a slightly crazy one at that … but we still don't know if Sirius Black can be trusted or not."

"Harry, I mean Harry in the future, speaks only highly of him," Ted said, scowling at Hermione as if he was challenging her to contradict him. "I say," he added. "We ask Sirius himself, what happened back then!"

"Alright, sure," Hermione said. "Let's give him a call on his telephone."

"On his what?" Ron asked, stupidly.

"He might not have a phone," Ted answered. "But he can be easily reached by owl post! Harry, get out your parchment and feather. We are writing a letter."

"Um, but how does Sirius know that he can trust us?" Harry asked, while he took out his parchment and ink.

"He will trust Remus Lupin and Harry Potter," Ted said.

"We are going to involve Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Me be a metamorphmagus, remember?" Ted said and smirked. Then he turned towards Harry: "You will have to write this. Tell him it's Moony and Harry Potter writing and that we expect him here by the pond at midnight in two days time to explain himself …"

**Two days later**

Finally, the night on which they would meet Sirius Black by the pond had arrived. At half past eleven, Hermione snuck into the room of the boys who were all awake. Ron was yawning, but Ted and Harry were by far too excited to think of sleeping. Teddy was clothed in far too big, rundown clothes. Hermione and Ron had stolen them from Lupin's room earlier while Ted and Harry distracted the two adults.

And scrunching up is face, Teddy slowly started to morph and grow taller until Remus Lupin's uncanny double sat before them. "Brilliant," Ron breathed.

Hermione looked at the young Lupin with a certain respect. Ted got up and started walking around the room slowly on shaky legs. He had a feeling as if his legs were by far too long for walking and he was not used to being so incredibly high up in the air.

"Mister Potter, Mister Weasley, Miss Granger: I think that means detention," he said at last and grinned.

Then Hermione and Ron slipped underneath Harry's invisibility cloak and the foursome made their way downstairs and outside. Through the seemingly calm summer's night they walked towards the pond.

**A few hours earlier**

Tonks was wondering what was up with those children. They had tried to act so incredibly unassuming and innocent for the last two days that all of her auror senses were running wild. She was constantly expecting something to explode. As soon as the kids had gone to bed, she asked Remus: "Some wine?" She certainly needed something to calm her down. Maybe, just maybe, she thought, I'm not nervous because of four kids but because of the presence of that one man. He was so different from all those boys she had known up to now. He was someone who had seen the world, its bright and its darker sides. And that alone was incredibly sexy. More than that, he also had a wonderful character. She had realised as much over the past few days. She loved the humorous way in which he interacted with the children.

"I'd love some wine," he said, smiling that charming, somewhat sad smile of his. Yes, he would certainly turn out to be a wonderful teacher. For an instant, Tonks had to think of the alleged curse lasting on the post that Remus would take up in a few weeks time. Then they sat down in the furthest corner of the terrace, a bottle of wine and two glasses between them and started conversing.

After they had fallen silent again, Tonks was lost in thought about Remus' dark past. Certainly, life hadn't been nice to him, but he had picked himself back up again and done his own thing. That got her respect. Something she had once shared with her best friend Charlie Weasley came back to her mind: 'Life does fuck you around. But that's why you should love it so that in the end all it does is make amazing love to you,' she had told Charlie once when he had wanted to comfort her about a break up. Yes, Tonks did love life. And she thought, contrary to what Remus had apparently experienced, that life did get better the older you got.

…

Remus and Tonks had talked all evening as the sun set and darkness spread. Sitting in the furthest corner of the terrace, shrouded in darkness, they had looked out onto the moonlit garden. Easily, they went from easy banter to serious topics and back to joking around.

Remus was enjoying himself throughout the entire conversation. He was watching the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled and delighted in her wit. He knew that it was dangerous for his heart to like her as much as he had gotten to like her over the past few days. But he couldn't help it. 'I'm just a lowly werewolf and she's an amazing auror,' he thought. He knew that he was too old and too poor and too broken for her. But she made him feel alive and whole and happy! Remus tried to push away his traitorous thoughts of what it would feel like to kiss those lips and turned his eyes towards the garden.

Remus and Tonks fell silent. An owl hooted somewhere in the night. The crickets by the pond filled the night air with their chirping. They sat like that for what felt like an eternity. Then, however, the door to the terrace opened and two figures stepped outside. One was a tall slim man and the other was a small, bony boy with messy dark hair.

Without making a sound, Tonks and Remus drew their wands as the two stepped out into the moonlight. The boy was obviously Harry. And the man was a carbon copy of Remus Lupin, even though there was something off about his walk. The two figures walked towards the pond without talking to each other and Tonks and Remus followed quietly behind them. What was going on?

**Way earlier**

"My things", Harry said coolly to his uncle as they stood in the chilly night air. "If you don't bring them outside, I'll make such a racket that all the neighbours will fall out of their beds."

Vernon grumbled, and a moment later Harry's suitcase came flying out of the open door, which closed behind it with a bang.

That bang rose the big, shaggy, black dog which had been sleeping in the bushes not too far away from his slumber. Drowsily Sirius lifted his head. As soon as he had seen the two boys out in the darkness of the night outside the closed door of the safe home, he was wide awake. His good dog ears could hear the godson he had recognised right away speaking to the stranger with the glowing hair: "Hm, vou've probably done me a favour", Harry said and shrugged. "That was my uncle and I hate living here. I'm actually quite happy that they've thrown me out." Those insufferable muggles had thrown a thirteen year old boy onto the street? And how come he was standing there with a boy he obviously didn't know? Sirius was puzzled. As the two boys walked down the street, the dog followed them silently.

"Don't you want to take the Knight Bus?", the younger boy with the glowing hair asked.

"The what?" the godson who looked so much like James that it was uncanny asked right back.

"You don't know the Knight Bus? Well, no wonder, living with these weird muggles and all … Well, you haven't missed much. Listen, if you don't have any place to stay, you can come with me to my godfather's. He is really chill and won't be bothered if there's one more kid to house and feed", the boy said. "I'm Ted by the way."

"Harry", Harry said and they shook hands while they kept walking. Sirius held back a growl: Harry was by far too trusting! He would have to do something, hold them back before Harry was carted off to who knows where.

"Where does that bus leave?", Harry asked.

"Stay put for a moment", Ted said and made a sign for him to step off the street. Then he swivelled his wand. At the same time, Harry gazed down the alleyway behind them with narrowed eyes and looked straight at Sirius. "Something's back there", Harry whispered. 'What shall I do, what shall I do?' Sirius thought. He knew that he had to act fast if he didn't want Harry to take the Knight Bus.

Then there was a bang and a sudden blinding light and in front of them appeared a unsteady triple-decker, violently purple bus. Surprised, Harry took another step back.

"Hi Eleanor", Ted called happily through the open bus door.

"Who is Eleanor?", the young conductor in a purple uniform asked as he jumped out of the bus.

"Where's Eleanor gone off to?", asked Ted, looking past him. "She's the conductor of the Knight Bus!"

"No, that's me, Stan, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Ted furrowed his brows, shrugged and entered the bus. Stan took Harry's things and asked for their names.

"I'm Ted", Sirius heard the boy say. "Ted Lupin." That certainly stopped him in his tracks. Lupin? Had the boy just said Lupin?

"Neville, Neville Longbottom", Harry said as soon as he had entered the bus. Well, at least the boy had the sense to go incognito!

Sirius retreated into the darkness. Lupin? Could it be that this was Remus' son? Remus certainly never had thought he would settle down, because werewolf angst. But a lot could have happened in the time he had been locked away in Azkaban. He shivered at thinking of that place. The dog shook itself and then decided to make his way towards Hogwarts. Harry would be safe with Remus and his son, but Sirius now had to take care of the traitor …


	7. Chapter 7

Hi guys! I'm back from my summer holidays. Today there's just a short chapter because I'm evil ;). Enjoy!

…

Sirius had been lying in the bushes by the dark pond for a few minutes, disguised as a dog, when he saw Remus and Harry approaching. He had to keep his tail from wagging and kept completely still. Something was strange about the way Remus walked. Had he hurt himself? Or was something more sinister going on?

That was, when Sirius discovered another Remus, accompanied by a young pink haired woman stalking the two up front. The dog tilted his head. Something was very wrong here. His instinct was to run for it. But what if Harry was in danger? Hidden behind a tree, he transformed back into a man and brandished the wand he had conveniently stolen two days ago.

Harry and Remus number one had now arrived by the pond and were looking around with wide eyes.

"Do you think he's really coming?", Harry asked his companion, shivering from the nightly chill.

"Harry," a female voice seemed to whisper out of empty air. "Harry, Remus and Tonks are behind us."

Sirius had to suppress a snicker when the first Remus and his little companion whirled around and discovered their pursuers frowning at them through the night.

"Scorpius, is that you?" the pink haired witch asked the man next to Harry.

Scowling at them, his figure started to shrink and morph until a little boy with bright blue hair was standing there. The two boys exchanged a sheepish look.

'A metamorphmagus! Well that solves the puzzle of the two Moonies,' Sirius thought.

"Do we even want to know what you two were up to?" the witch went on asking. She had put her wand away and looked down upon them with crossed arms.

Remus, however, still had his wand out. He was looking around them with a suspicious frown. "Something's off. I don't like this, I don't like this at all," the werewolf said. Sirius pressed harder against the tree, hoping with all his heart to stay hidden.

Obviously, the two boys had written and wanted to talk to him. The two adults did not seem to have a clue. It would not be good to be caught by an angry and protective Remus …

That was the moment when the dark clad figures came swooping down through the night. They wore black cloaks and white masks. Sirius was too busy jumping out behind his tree and trying to get to Harry to protect him with all his might to count them.

There were yells and confusion, jets of light flying between Remus, Tonks and the Death Eaters, but it was soon clear what the attackers wanted: they wanted Harry. They were systematically trying to get close to him. But Sirius had made his way to the two boys, doing a little dance of firing curses into the darkened night sky. Two more children had emerged out of thin air, not that Sirius was very surprised, and were trying to help. But what kind of protective spells did kids of Harry's age know? That was the moment Sirius was hit by something really painful into the back and bent over.

…

Remus had not liked the smell of the night air because it was so familiar. It smelled of his pack. Of the traitor. Obviously, this was a trap laid out by Sirius. He was trying to locate the origin of the smell. Was Sirius alone or did he have accomplices?

That instant, wizards in black cloaks darkened the sky above them. They had flown onto the grounds of the Tonks without making a sound and took them nearly completely by surprise. Remus hated himself for that bottle of wine from earlier on. Tonks and him flew into a fighting stance and tried to battle the attackers away from the kids. Especially Harry. How would he be able to face the world if he let anything happen to James' and Lily's son?

In his thoughts he cursed Sirius Black, that back-stabbing traitor. The dog had to be one of the flying death eaters, or else he would not have smelled him. Just as this thought passed through the werewolf's head, he discovered Sirius right next to Harry. Far from paralysing Remus, the shock gave him wings. He threw a nasty curse into Sirius direction and the bastard tumbled down. Remus loomed down upon the friend turned foe, feeling hate in every fibre of his body.

"No!" Ted yelled and a flash of blue hair threw himself between Remus and the man he wanted to finish off.

At the same time Ron and Hermione yelled: "Harry!"

Remus turned away from Sirius' form and saw an unconscious Harry on a broom in front of one of the attackers. The swarm of flying black robes formed around the one who had the boy-who-lived and they flew off, cackling evilly into the night.

But Ted was too preoccupied with Sirius' unconscious form to notice any of this. He was shaking the dark haired prison escapee whispering: "Please be alright, please be alright. Come on, Sirius."

"We have to follow them!" Hermione said, pointing up at the sky.

"Do you think Black led them here?" Ron asked.

"Who else?" Remus said dryly.

Suddenly, he realised that someone had been suspiciously quiet for the last two minutes.

Remus turned around and saw Tonks' lifeless form on the cold night floor.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for your awesome reviews, guys!

**Chapter 8**

Ted Lupin had never felt more awful in his short life than at the moment when he discovered the lifeless form of his mother on the ground by the pond. Within minutes he thought a thousand thoughts: was she very hurt? Was she even dead? Was it all his fault for accidentally tripping back through time and not telling his parents who he really was?

"Mum!" Ted cried out and moved away from Sirius towards the woman.

"You!" Ron roared at that moment and approached him with fury all over his face.

"You're the one who told us we could trust Black!" Ron exclaimed. "I bet you were in on this. It's all your fault!"

Hermione was right next to him, looking about as livid as her older counterpart had the day someone had dared to call Hugo a mudblood. "Yes, for once I agree with Ron. What is your idea anyway?" she said in a very low voice.

"Please don't fight now, children," Remus said, bending over Tonks, thinking in quite dark paradigms. In that minute the young witch sat up and their foreheads collided painfully. "Ouch!" she exclaimed and raised a hand towards her head. Disorientated she looked around and rasped: "Are they gone?" Her hair was no longer a vivid pink, but a deadly ashbrown.

"You're alright, you're alright," Ted chanted, throwing himself into her arms.

"Woah there, young man, I'm hurting all over," Tonks said, patting his back. Ted took a step back right away and whispered: "I'm sorry. I didn't expect this to happen …"

"Is it true then?" Remus said. "You told Black where we are?" He was looking at Ted in a tired and very disappointed way, his wand pointing straight at the heart of his son. Ted felt as if he was dying the second time this night. Or maybe even the third.

"But Sirius is one of the good guys!" Ted cried out.

"At least that is what Scorpius who says he's Ted told us. And Harry believed him. Harry even believed him that he is a time traveller from the future," Hermione piped up.

Remus let out a deep sigh. This was getting better and better! "Ted? A time traveller from the future?" he repeated.

"Yes, and Ted told us that he's Harry's godson," Ron explained.

"And you just believed that?" Tonks asked, slowly getting onto her shaky feet and scrutinizing the young metamorphmagus from head to toe, a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Harry believed him," Hermione whispered, looking to shame-faced to the ground. "Harry said that Ted knows things he could only possibly know as his godson. And Ted quoted Tolkien …" She trailed off.

"And Harry had been hanging out with him for a while, so we thought it could be true," Ron added.

"Shouldn't we go free Harry?" Ted asked, letting his head hang low.

"For that," Remus said, "we will at first have to question Black and his accomplice." He pointed towards the unconscious heap of Sirius Black.

"His accomplice?" Ted asked.

"Yes, YOU, young man, obviously." Remus said. With a flash of his wand a silvery figure sprang across the grass and disappeared in the distance. "I'm calling Dumbledore," he explained to the children. Then he walked over and let ropes come out of his wand that slung themselves around the figure of his old friend. Tonks, meanwhile, had a hand on Ted's shoulder, her wand in hand.

"Alright, so now I'm under arrest?" Ted snapped. "Don't you see you've got the wrong guy?" One minute he had been elated about his mother getting up from the floor, the next he got arrested by her.

As soon as Sirius was tied fast, Remus turned towards Ted and Tonks. "Well," he said. "While we wait for the headmaster, you might as well start to explain your role in this catastrophic night, Scorpius. If Scorpius even is your name …"

"Ted," Ted said, looking defiantly from his mother to his father, "the name's Ted Remus Lupin and I am Harry's godson from the future."

Ron snorted, his arms crossed. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

Remus took a step back in surprise. Soon, however, he caught himself again, looking quite pale underneath the moonlight. He asked coolly: "Do you want to imply a relation with me?"

"Yes, I'm your son," Ted answered, meeting his eyes bravely.

Suddenly, Tonks started laughing in a quite uncontrolled manner. Everyone stared at her in astonishment. "It's…" she gasped, "it's just completely ridiculous … I mean … Remus' son and Harry and Sirius…" Obviously she was incapable of forming a proper sentence.

"What's so funny?" someone asked and for a moment everyone was confused as to who had spoken until they turned towards Black who had sat up, still bound in the magical ropes.

He was looking from one person to the next and finally said: "Ah, they're gone … but… Where's Harry gone off to?" Frantically, the escapee turned his head in every direction.

"We thought that you might be able to tell us that," Remus said with such a cold expression that let everybody's insides freeze. Tonks had stopped laughing hysterically and was wiping away tears from her eyes. Ted tried to move over to Sirius, but her grip on his shoulder was quite strong.

"It wasn't Sirius!" Ted cried out full of desperation. "Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper!"

Remus whirled around and stared at the boy.

Sirius was gaping at him. "How do you know that?" he whispered, his face pale.

"I'm Remus' son from the future," Ted said, shrugging his shoulders.

Sirius opened his mouth and shut it again. For once even the old marauder was stunned to silence.

"And even if you were Remus' son from the future…" Tonks said. "Why would you keep that a secret from us? Why are you here? How did you end up in this time?"

"I wanted to take a portkey to Harry – but it was malfunctioning and suddenly I was in the room of the thirteen year old Harry and then his mad uncle came in and threw us out and then we didn't know where to go so I thought maybe grandma could help …" Ted was gesticulating wildly.

"What did you just say?" Tonks snapped.

"I thought that grandma could help?" Ted answered uncertainly.

"Apparently he's your son as well," Hermione threw in.

Tonks was gripping Ted's shoulder so hard it hurt. She was staring at Remus and he was staring right back.

"Well," Ted tentatively went on. "And then we came here and grandma was on holiday, but instead you were here, mum," man, it felt strange to say that word, "and then at first we lied so we wouldn't change the timeline but then we lied so you wouldn't send me home… because …" He trailed off.

"What's so bad about home?" Tonks said, furrowing her brows.

"Apparently, you are both dead," Hermione, who was starting to believe Teddy again, said bluntly. "And that touched Harry's soft side so that the two boys decided to deceive you into thinking that Ted is actually Scorpius."


End file.
